This Rapid Review identified population-based screening instruments for application in any cancer setting, for any patient, in any stage of the cancer journey, relevant to physical, social, information, spiritual and/or psychological needs. The review focus was population-based screening instruments. However, there were important secondary findings in terms of assessment instruments that facilitated identification, triage and/or referral of patients to appropriate care/interventions; instruments that could improve patient outcomes and experience (quality of life), and instruments that could improve the management of identified needs of cancer patients. The Review team used a debating process to differentiate between population-screening instruments, and assessment instruments of individual needs related to age, type or stage of cancer, and quality of life (general measures, or measures specific to cancer type).

2015

Does publishing patient safety data improve the standard of care? A Rapid Review of the Literature. Prepared for Accident Compensation Corporation (New Zealand)

ACC Research, on behalf of the ACC Treatment Injury Prevention Team, sought a robust independent and informed evidence-based literature review that explored how publishing patient safety data improved the standard care received and would lead to a reduction in the number and severity of claims received.

This report summarises and discusses what is known of the effects of public reporting of patient safety data as of Sept 2015, identified from a rapid review of the peer-reviewed research literature. The review purpose was to investigate the research question of: What research evidence is there that publishing patient safety data improves the standard of care, and leads to a reduction in the number and severity of claims?

2014

Education support for children and young people with chronic mental and physical health issues: A Rapid Review. Prepared for Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Victoria

This review focuses on ‘educational support for children and young people with chronic mental and physical health issues,’ as specific by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Victoria. It focuses on the one in three children for whom, at any one time, education services could reasonably be required to provide individualised health support to ensure inclusion and avoid discrimination.

The objective of this rapid review was to critically examine the literature regarding educational support for children and young people with chronic mental and physical health issues. Specifically, this review aimed to identify evidence-based and effective policies, programs and service delivery models. Some of the questions in review included:

What policies, programs or service delivery models are currently in place for providing educational support to children and young people with chronic mental and physical health issues?

What is the evidence of effectiveness of these policies, programs or service delivery models in facilitating engagement in education or learning in children and young people with chronic mental and physical health issues?

What are the key features or characteristics of effective policies, programs or service delivery models?

Clinical quality registries systematically and uniformly collect information from people who undergo a procedure, are diagnosed with a disease or use a health care resource. The ultimate goal of clinical quality registries is to improve health outcomes by stimulating improvements in the healthcare system. While the formulation, setting up and development of clinical quality registries is relatively new in Australia, Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Denmark have a long history of clinical quality registries as part of their health care system. This rapid review identified 38 clinical quality registries in operation locally, nationally and internationally.

Rapid review of literature for health literacy in people with diabetes. Technical Report. Prepared for the Australian Diabetes Educators Association.

Diabetes mellitus has become one of the most challenging public health problems in Australia. People with diabetes are expected to take an active role in the management of their condition and this can be particularly challenging when limited health literacy is an issue. Adequate health literacy is therefore a critical aspect to a person’s ability to engage with health services, and their self-management of, and knowledge about their condition.

The purpose of this rapid review was to provide a synthesis of the best available research evidence on the impact of health literacy strategies in adults with diabetes. The findings of this review will inform the Position Statement of the Australian Diabetes Educators Association on Health Literacy.